Game



Oct. 8, 1929. J. s. NICHOLAS 1,730,523

GAME

Filed March 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Oct. 8, 1929. J. s.NICHOLAS GAME Filed March 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I]. sJl b'chalds Q BWm y Attornqy Oct. 8, 1929.

J. S. NICHOLAS GAME Filed March 16, 1928 v 3 Sheets-Sheet Inventor 6 3If. SJYiohoZas Patented Oct. 8, 1929 "UNITED STATES JAMES S. NICHOLAS,OE AKRON, OHIO GAME Application filed March '16, 1928.. Serial No.262,095.

The presentinvention embodies the idea and means for providing anamusing game of the type including aboard having certain indications andinstructions located thereon, together 'With a manually operableejecting device for a ball, marble or the like which,

is literally shot across the surface of the board for cooperation withthevarious indications.

I am aware that various games of this general type are in use today andthat many have been patented. After carefully considering these, I haveevolved and produced a game which is characterized by-certain new andnovel features which lend individuality thereto and serve to producewhat I believe to be a new contribution to this art.'

The details and their relative arrangement and association will becomemore readily apparent from the following description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game board constructed in accordancewith th present invention. I

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section, taken approximately upon theplane of the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an irregular section, taken approximately upon the plane ofthe line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view of the device, with the bottom board removed toexpose novel mechanism constituting an important party of the invention.c

In carrying, out the invention, I provide a box-like container whichincludes a flat bottom 5, the forward or playing end of which rests uponthe supporting surface, and the remote end of which is supported in aninclined position by a prop or equivalent element 6. Incidentally, theprop is of such height as to incline the bottom of the box to facilitategravity return of the projectile used in playing the game. The bottom 5is of elongated configuration as shown in Figures 1 and 4, beingstraight across at the playing end (namely the left hand end) and beingcurved on a circular line at the opposite right hand end, which may bedesignated as at the the horizontal partition 8, which is centrally ahigh point pocket. Cooperating with this,

In other words, it has the straight end, spaced parallel sides, androunded ends. In this connection, it is to be stated that the roundedends are particularly important in the playing of the game as will beseen later.

Appropriately supported within the box is located, to provide a lowerball return com- 0 partrhent, and an upper playing field 10. Thispartition is provided with a plurality of openings which cooperate informing receiving pockets. I desire to make a distinction between thepockets because they operate somewhat individually in the scoring. Forexample, at the upper right hand end of Figure 2, we observe an opening11, which for the sake of clearness may be designated as .a

on the left hand side, is the stop pin 12. As

isapparent from Figure 1, this particular pocket is located centrally'ofthe curved end of the board and in fact is spaced downward- 5 1y fromthe crown portion of the adjacent part of the rim 7. In the actual game,this pocket will have an indication, for example,

five thousand, consisting of the highest individual point, the pocketbeing located atthe point on the board which makes it very difficult toscore on. Located on one side of the pocket 11 is a bumper or buffer'pin 13 (see Figure 1). In practice, this may be an upstanding pinsurrounded by a rubber sleeve 5 to cushion the blow of the ball.Incidentally, in playing this game, I prefer to use" a marble, ball orsuitable projectile. The bumper 13 is located to one side of the crownportion of the rim and in fact in the path of travel of the o I ba-ll.In most instances, when the ball is projected, it will strike thisbumper and bounce various ways across the surface of the partition 8.

I now call attention to the holes 14. They are aseries of'three. Eachone is surrounded by a circular set of upstanding pins, forming what maybe designated a pen 15, and this is formed on the bumper side with anentrance opening '16. Each penwill have a number therein, so that whenthe ball goes through the entrance it will remain in the pen to aid incounting the score. I next in- Vite attention to a pocket 17, in thecomple-- mental pocket 18, the pocket 17 being surrounded by the smallpen 19, and the pocket [intervals and having cooperating pins 23,

and these have individual scores capable of being made.

' I now invite attention to a row ofpockets,

the pockets being indicated by the numerals 24 and there beinginterveningpins 25 assoit to come it can be easily projected or ejectedby grasping the finger hook 28 for pulling out the ciated therewith, toaid in making small.

scores. a

I now desire to call attention to an upwardly inclined tubular chute orejecting tube 26, located on one side at the playing end of the board.This is better shown in Figure 3. Referring to this figure it willbeobserved that the tube terminates in spaced relation to the curved end'of the board; In'practice, a

small marble is placed in this tube and the.

marble isshot out through the medium of an impact element which is shownin Figure 3, comprising a lever 27 pivotally mounted and having a fingerpiece 28 and an impact finger 29. The finger 29 extends through anopening and obviously engages the ball or marble. Then, there isa spring30, associated with-this impact device, and it will be. seen that byplacing the ball inthe chute and allowing to rest at the bottom of thechute,

lever and then releasing it, and this provides the necessary blow whichdrives the ball out through the chute and up onto the surface of thepartition where it is permitted to roll recklessly about the playingfield and to co- I operate with thedifierent pins. The pins set up manyobstructions which would make the game more of a chance propositionrather than one of skill.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be observed that individual flapvalves or plates 31 cooperate with the variousfopenings.

- Means are provided for simultaneously operating the valves,.and forexample I employ a rotary master shaft 32, having the valves mounteddirectly thereon as shown in Figure 4. Then extending at right angles tothis we find three supplemental shafts 33, 34, and 35. Thesesupplemental shafts are provided with arms 36, having operatingconnection with the valves in any appropriate manner. The supplementalshafts are mountedin guides 37 for sliding movement and they haveoperating connection with the master shaft 32,

through the medium of rack and pinion, as

springs 39 are provided, but the master shaft is provided with a controlknob 40, located on the exterior and in convenient reach of the player.Obviously, by grasping the knob and turning the master shaft, thesupplemental shafts simultaneously are reciprocated to open all of theslot valves so that in the event that the ball has stopped in any of.the openings or pockets carried thereby, the ball will be allowed todrop'through and into the return compartment 9. This compartment asshown in Figure 2, is provided at one end, with a substantiallytriangular stick 41, located at the left hand end of the compartment9'under the partition 8, and leading over to the chute to guide the ballto the chute to be reused. v j

The playing field 10 is covered by a transparent glass plate 42, locatedso as not to interfere with the movement of the ball, but to allow theball to be clearly seen therethrough for keeping score.

located in the lower end of the chute 26 and the impact device isoperated, the ball will be driven out through the chute and up onto thesurface ofthe partition where it will roll in a haphazard manner aboutthis board and locate itself in any one of the different pockets. Sincethe various pockets have individual numbers, the player will keep trackof his score. So long as he makes a score he keeps on shooting and whenhe misses, the next player shoots.

In many instances, the ball will follow around the curved rim at thepoint where it leaves the chute andwill usually strike the buffer orabutment 13. Here it will be.

bounced back onto the playing field to roll recklessly and to strike thevarious pins. It will gravitate down through the field and either locateitself in one of the pockets or I roll against certain of the pins andnot go into the pocket. In some rare instances, the ball in striking theabutment 13 will return itself into the hlgh point pocket 11, which inthe it way back into the chute, where it is used over again.

Attention 1s invited to the fact that the ball will appreciably rolldown across the in- I clined .playing field and not having encounteredany of the obstructions at all, or rolled into any of the pockets, itwill lodge in the space between the pockets 24 and the pins 25 and thelower ends of the board.

In order that the ball, will be returned howevercto be reused, I providea tapered channel or alley 44in the top surface of the partition member8. Then at the wide end 5. at 38. It will be noticed that suitablereturn of this alley, I form an opening 43 through which the ball isallowed to drop and enter the chute in front of the check door.

It is obvious that a game of this character will provoke much amusementand promote likeable pastime, not only for children, but for grownpersons as well. ployed in the scoring are unusually even and are easyto calculate, and to add, and the game may-be set at ten thousand pointsor more to produce the desired competition between .the contestants.

It is believed however, that the construction and features of theinvention will be clear after reading the description inconnection withthe drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded asunnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

In a game of the class described, a box of elongated form having abottom with one end of straight design, with the opposite end of curveddesign, and with the opposite edges in spaced parallelism, an upstandingrim surrounding said bottom and of a configuration corresponding to theshape of the bottom, a central horizontal partition piece located insaid box, said partition piece dividing said box into an upper playingfield, and a lower projectile receiving and return space,

a projectile chute located on one side of the bottom communicating withthe playing field and ball return space, ejecting means associated withthe chute and located at the straight end of the box, a plurality ofindividual pocket-s formed on said partition, certain of said pocketsbeing surrounded by a circular arrangement of pins forming a retainingpen having entrances, and a ball returning means formed on the lowerend-0f said partition and communicating'with said projectile chute.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JAMES S. NICHOLAS.

The numbers em-

